Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): The Flight's "Final Table"

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 GTD)

Level 14 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/400)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 83

Total Entries: 83

Flight 1A Players Remaining: 10

The average chip stack at the moment is 150,000 (close to 40 big blinds), but even with play so deep, we are seeing players drop at an unbelievable pace.  The Flight 1A field is now down to (10) players, sharing the felt until the end of Level 16 (or when 7 players remain).  Here are the seating assignments for the only table in the tournament field:

1. Rafael Ramos
2. Soren Morales
3. Devond Marshall
4. Raymond Ruszkowski
5. Richard Zisser
6. Raminder Singh
7. Josh Wasserman
8. Karen Powsner
9. Harry Sukhu
10. Atanael Thomas

Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): Chip Lead Race Tightening

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 GTD)

Level 13 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 83

Total Entries: 83

Flight 1A Players Remaining: 14

Atanael Thomas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)

While play is scheduled to end at the conclusion of Level 16, the flight will also stop if the field reaches 8% of the total entries for the flight (so if 10 players remain as any point tonight).  With (14) players left at the moment, the possibility of play stopping before the end of Level 16 is very real.  Atanael Thomas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) was all-in just a few levels ago, holding an open ended straight draw, against the pocket aces of Eric Mutschler.  Thomas hit his straight on the turn, and from then on, he's been steadily trending upward.  Atanael is now sitting with 245,000, which is only 40,000 behind Raymond Ruszkowski, a player who we thought was just going to runaway with the chip lead.  

Raymond Ruszkowski - 285,000

Atanael Thomas - 245,000

Josh Wasserman - 220,000

Harry Khutu - 180,000

Rafael Ramos - 130,000

Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): Already Down To Two Tables

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 GTD)

Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 83

Total Entries: 83

Flight 1A Players Remaining: 19

The action has been fast and furious for this first of ten flights, with the field already dwindled down to two tables.  Here is an updated list of the players remaining in the flight:

Table 4:

1. Sam Sternfield
2. (Empty)
3. Jeff Saunders
4. Raymond Ruszkowski
5. Peter Udovik
6. Raminder Singh
7. Steve Harris
8. Karen Powsner
9. Eric Mutschler
10. Thomas Atanael

Table 9:

1. Soren Morales
2. Josh Wasserman
3. Richard Zisser
4. Rafael Ramos
5. Robert Valentine
6. Devond Marshall
7. Anthony Casas
8. Bob Finch
9. Harry Sukhu
10. Frank Katana

Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): Raymond Running Pure

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 GTD)

Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 83

Total Entries: 83

Flight 1A Players Remaining: 23

It's never smart to assume anything when it comes to poker and poker tournaments, but it looks as if Raymond Ruszkowski just locked up the "chip lead bonus" for this flight.  Now there are five levels of play remaining in the night, but Raymond just won another pot worth over 100,000, and is now sitting with close to 250,000 (250 big blinds).  

The most recent hand with Ruszkowski was picked up on the flop of 10♠ 9♦ 3♥, as Frederico went all-in for 17,000, and was called by Ruszkowski, Raminder Singh, and an unknown player.  The three active players would check after the dealer placed down the A♣ on the turn, and after the Q♠ on the river, Ruszkowski would place out a bet of 10,000 (into a pot close to 80,000).  The unknown player would call for less, and Singh folded behind.  Raymond turned over A♦ A♠ (turned a set of aces), which was good enough to take take the main and side pots, sending two more players home for the night.

Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): Everyone Hates Raymond

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 GTD)

Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 83

Total Entries: 83

Flight 1A Players Remaining: 36

Raymond Ruszkowski (Miami, FL)

We picked up the action at Table 2, as five players saw a flop of 6♥ 9♥ 6♠.  After two checks, an unknown player placed out a bet of 10,000, with Raymond Ruszkowski (Miami, FL) moving all-in (next to act).  The player behind Raymond asked for an exact count (which was 56,800), and after tanking for about four minutes, he would make the call.  Two of the three players that were remaining in the hand also went all-in (for less), giving us a four way all-in for a pot worth over 160,000.

Player A: Q♠ 9♠ (top pair)

Riszkowski: A♥ 3♥ (flush draw)

Player B: J♥ 8♥ (flush draw)

Player C: 6♦ 3♦ (trips)

Turn: A♦

River: A♣

It wasn't the way Raymond expected to scoop up the pot, but the running aces would give him a full house, and Ruszkowski would more than triple up (eliminating two players).  Ruszkowski is now the clear chip leader, holding close to 50,000 more than his nearest competitor.

Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): Dabus Jumps In As Registration Winds Down

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 GTD)

Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/75)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 77

Total Entries: 77

Frederico Dabus (Doral, FL)

Players in this Flight 1A have just entered Level 8, which is the last level of open registration for the night (with the time during break open for players to join the action as well).  

One player to jump into the field as the registration window closes is Frederico Dabus (Doral, FL).  Dabus is a name you may remember from the Isle Poker Open, a series in which he cashes in three events:

Event #1 ($150 No Limit Hold'em) - 40th Place ($430)

Event #9 ($350 No Limit Hold'em) - 110th Place ($296)

Event #12 ($150 No Limit Hold'em) - 99th Place ($184)

Dabus is seated at one of the tougher tables in the field, sharing the felt with the likes of Raminder Singh and Eric Mutschler.  Those two players have a lot of history, having chopped Event #6 of the Isle Poker Open.  Singh ended up the declared winner, taking home just over $12,000, while Mutschler ended up walking away with just over $10,000 for second place.

Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): Wasserman Ends Gity's Brutal Day

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 GTD)

Level 6 (Blinds 200/400/50)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 72

Total Entries: 72

Josh Wasserman (Deerfield Beach, FL)

Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL) was having a day that all tournament players dread...when most all of the critical situations played out in his opponents advantage.  Gity watched as players hit gut-shot outs on three separate occasions against the absolute top of his range.

After four players called a 2,000 raise, Gity would shove for 7,875 in turn, and watch as action folded around to Josh Wasserman.  Without nobody left to act behind him, Wasserman would ask for an exact count, and eventually toss the chips into the pot (signifying a call).  Gity would first turn over A♠ J♥, and wait to see that he would be in a raise against the 8♥ 8♣ of Wasserman.  The dealer collected the pot in the middle of the table, and ran out a board of 3♠ 7♠ K♣ 4♥ 10♥.  Tom was standing and collecting his things even before the river was placed down on the table, seemingly accepting the fate that assumed destined.  Gity wished his tablemates "good luck," and exited the tournament area for the night, while Wasserman chipped up to close to 45,000.

Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): Break Time Allows For "Live Blog" Schedule

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 GTD)

Level 5 (Blinds 150/300/25)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 64

Total Entries: 64

Players in this opening flight are currently on their first (10) minute break of the night, and will be returning to Level 5, and new blinds of 150/300/25.  The reception from the players/staff in regards to the Isle Casino Poker Room Blog has been nothing short of incredible, which is the exact reason that this site was developed.  While the blog started with coverage of one of the four "major" series of the year (Isle Poker Open), it was important that much of the focus was on the "lifeblood" of the room, and the players that are here day in and day out.  

With that having been said, we wanted to lay out the schedule for the "live coverage" of this multi-flight event.  Each flight will have it's own dedicated coverage, which will include a "numbers breakdown," end of flight chips counts, Day 2 seating assignments, and "chip lead" bonus winners.  Six of the ten total flights will offer detailed coverage throughout, including the full schedule of flights on Saturday.  Posted below is the breakdown of coverage for the weekend (for those that want to potentially find themselves featured on the blog):

Wednesday, December 14th:

6:00pm - Flight 1A (Live "Blogger" Coverage)

Thursday, December 15th:

11:00am - Flight 1B

3:00pm - Flight 1C (Live "Blogger" Coverage)

7:00pm - Flight 1D 

Friday, December 16th:

11:00am - Flight 1E (Live "Blogger" Coverage)

3:00pm - Flight 1F 

7:00pm - Flight 1 G

Saturday, December 17th:

11:00am - Flight 1H (Live "Blogger" Coverage)

3:00pm - Flight 1I (Live "Blogger" Coverage)

7:00pm - Flight 1J (Live "Blogger" Coverage)

Sunday, December 18th:

12:00pm - Day 2 (Live "Blogger" Coverage)

Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): Singh Likes To Be A Frontrunner

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 GTD)

Level 4 (Blinds 100/200/25)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 58

Total Entries: 58

Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL)

Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL) is very comfortable in this poker room, which likely comes from the success he has seen here this year.  Raminder has over $500,000 in career tournament earnings, with more than a quarter of that amount coming here at the Isle.  Singh's Isle Poker tournament earnings over the last four months alone are over $30,000.  

While Raminder's exact tournament strategy is unknown to those in the field, a common trend of his success is the amassing of chips in the early stages of these multi-flight events.  Singh's aggressive (but calculated) play usually finds him at the top of the counts when the bags come out, so it would be no surprise if his name was listed as one of the larger stacks at the end of the night.

There is also a downside to the "out of the gate" mentality, as Singh just experienced, firing his second bullet of the tournament just four levels in.  Some other players to bust early, but re-enter, include: Tom Gity, Karen Powsner, and Michele Milker.

Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): Familiar Faces In The Field

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 GTD)

Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 46

Total Entries: 46

Michele Milker (Delray Beach, FL)

While there are three days to follow, each with three starting flights on the daily schedule, tonight's slate only offers this one flight.  This flight offers those with a potential scheduling conflict an opportunity to bag chips, opposed to planning a return visit over the course of the weekend (prior to Sunday's Day 2).  

Of the entrants already seated in the field, Michele Milker (Delray Beach, FL) is one of a handful of players that are in attendance on a daily basis, here at the Isle Casino Poker Room.  Michele has seen some nice success over the past six weeks, including a final table finish of November 15th's $40 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 Guarantee) event (7th Place - $887).  The volume that Michele puts in helps prepare her for the multi-flight/deeper structure events like this one, which she likely hopes will translate into a hefty bag at the end of this evening.

Some other notables in this opening flight field include:

Tom Gity

Hugh Hardy

Luke Rosenberg

Rafael Ramos

Flight 1A ($75,000 GTD): First Of Ten Flights Getting Underway

The "richest" tournament of the month begins in just moments, as the first flight of the $130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 Guarantee) gets it's cards in the air at 6:00pm.  This is flight one of ten, spread over the next three days, with Day 2 resuming on Sunday (and playing down to a winner).

Entrants into this tournament will sit down to starting stacks of 18,000 tournament chips.  Alternates and late registrants will be allowed to enter for the first (8) levels, levels which will last (25) minutes throughout the event.  It should be noted that all entrants will start with a full starting stack.  Each of the Day 1 flights are scheduled to play (16) levels, or until 8% percent of the field remains.  The "chip lead bonus" is back for each of the starting flights, with the player that bags the top stack walking away with $500.

Coverage of tonight's flight will continue shortly, along with the "Week In Review" feature from last week's tournament action.

ICYMI: Parada Heads The Tuesday $10K Five-Way Chop

Danilo Parada (Oakland Park, FL)

The "Tuesday 10K" ($40 No Limit Hold'em $10,000 Guarantee) has become one of the premier tournaments on the Isle Casino monthly schedule, with last night's installment finishing up in a five-way deal.  The tournament attracted a total of (315) entries, and after the boost from the optional "add-ons," the prize pool ended up totaling $10,445.  The posted first place prize was $2,821, which (for those who needed a reminder) is over (70) buy-ins.  It's really an incredible opportunity for recreational (or professional) players to grab a special return on investment.

The field consisted of all of the names and faces we've become so familiar with since the inception of the blog, a list that's becoming almost too long to list on the site.  The storyline from last night's event  though, was the number of new names that made up the list of players to cash.  There were a total of (36) players to cash in the event, and while the first two names to check in the podium were familiar to followers of the blog (John Bilas - 36th Place, James Powers - 35th Place), many that followed were making their way to the blog for one of the first times.

Play reached the final table just a few minutes after midnight, and while we've seen many tournaments make a deal with close to a full final table, last night's tournament continued on for about an hour.  After the elimination of Michael Malady (Upper Saddle River, NJ) in sixth place ($440), the remaining players broke down the numbers, and agreed to a deal.  Danilo Parada (Oakland Park, FL) would be declared the "winner," and would walk away with $1,701 and the trophy.  This looks to be Parada's first recorded cash on Hendon Mob, which continues with the trend mentioned above.  The next "Tuesday $10K" will on December 20th, beginning at 6:00pm.

Official Results:

1	Danilo Parada			Oakland Park, FL		$1,701.00		$2,821.00 *
2	Hector Rosas			Plantation, FL		$1,481.00		$1,671.00 *
3	Irwin Block			Coconut Creek, FL		$1,473.00		$1,097.00 *
4	Neil Warner			Pompano Beach, FL		$1,320.00		$757.00 *
5	Steven Slon			Highland Beach, FL		$930.00		$559.00 *
6	Michael Malady			Saddle River, NJ		$444.00
7	Luis Valencia			Ft. Lauderdale, FL		$339.00
8	Armaan Haji			Hollywood, FL		$245.00
9	Kevin McGillicuddy			Tamarac, FL		$178.00
10	George El-Khouri			Parkland, FL		$136.00
11	Eric Smith			Plantation, FL		$136.00
12	Michael Mayo			Dania Beach, FL		$136.00
13	Frank Annunziato			Hollywood, FL		$110.00
14	Charles Zusag			Plantation, FL		$110.00
15	Pietro Leone			Ft. Lauderdale, FL		$110.00
16	Osmany Martinez			Miami, FL		$94.00
17	Brian Brennan			Boca Raton, FL		$94.00
18	Gus Dumoulin			Coral Springs, FL		$94.00
19	Robert Williams			Pompano Beach, FL		$78.00
20	Ruthie Comeau			Stuart, FL		$78.00
21	Samuel Trapani			Pompano Beach, FL		$78.00
22	Diego Oliveira			Deerfield Bch., FL		$78.00
23	Paul Husch			Boynton Beach, FL		$78.00
24	Robert Gelin			Boynton Beach, FL		$78.00
25	Jorge Mederos			Miami, FL		$78.00
26	Carlito Cajuste			Coconut Creek, FL		$78.00
27	Andres Duran			Weston, FL		$78.00
28	Roberto Antonio			Brazil		$68.00
29	Steven Lake			Clewiston, FL		$68.00
30	Jesse Malner			Cleveland, OH		$68.00
31	Shravan Kulshrestha			Miami, FL		$68.00
32	Hari Sukhu			Miramar, FL		$68.00
33	Peter Bejusca			Ft. Lauderdale, FL		$68.00
34	Vasile Schita			Oakland Park, FL		$68.00
35	James Powers			Ft. Lauderdale, FL		$68.00
36	John Bilas			Wilton Manors, FL		$68.00

* Denotes posted payouts, before deal was made

Wednesday, December 14th: Busy Schedule Culminates With $75,000 Guarantee

Yesterday's poker action finished up around 2:15am, as the remaining players in the $40 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 Guarantee) agreed on a five-way chop, with Danilo Parada (Oakland Park, FL) taking home the winner's share ($2,821).  The conclusion of Tuesday's action would lead us into one of the busiest days on the December Poker Calendar.

Today's tournament schedule starts with the $2,000 Guarantee No Limit Hold'em "Freezeout" at 10:00am, which allows players the opportunity to grab their share of the prize pool without ever pulling a dollar out of their pockets.  The real money action starts this evening though, with Flight 1A of the $130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool), with cards getting in the air at 6:00pm.  This is the first of (10) flights over the next four days, culminating with Day 2 on Sunday.  This event is the only multi-flight tournament of the month, and carries with it the largest guarantee of the month as well.  Much of the action will be covered here on the blog, including detailed Day 2 updates, leading up to a tournament winner.

It's a busy day of promotions as well, as the (10) minute turbo high hands roll out during the hours of 9:00am-11:00am.  After an hour long buffer, the "Spin To Win" promotion then begins at 12:00pm, and will run until 11:00pm.  Between those hours, the qualifying hand for each half-hour will earn themselves the opportunity to spin the "money wheel."

10:00am - $2,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool No Limit Hold'em "Freezeout"

6:00pm - $130 No Limit Hold'em ($75,000 Guarantee) Flight 1A